Paul McBride QC: Internet threats can result in jail sentences

Paul McBride has revealed that he anticipated the reaction to getting involved with Neil Lennon and has warned internet abusers that they face going to jail.

The QC and Trish Godman have been sent mail bombs in a campaign that has shocked people throghout the world and brought Scotland’s sectarian problem under a worldwide miscroscope.

While police chase the instigators of the bomb campaign three young footballers face court action for their on-line behaviour.

Berwick have sacked u-17 captain Kieran Bowell with Josh Horne of St Mirren, Clyde’s Max McKee and Dean McLean of Motherwell being investigated for comments of facebook and twitter.

McBride won’t attend Sunday’s Rangers-Celtic match at Ibrox and isn’t surprised that he is now a target for the extremists.

“I accept that when I put my head above the parapet I would be subjected to the usual sort of bile,” he admitted. “And I got that and some.

“To get to the stage where I could be killed for expressing a viewpoint is frankly beyond anything you could expect to happen in this country.

“This individual must understand that you can never silence people in a democracy with bombs. People will not be silenced and I will certainly not hesitate to speak my mind.

“The irony for me is that I have represented some of the worst murderers and child killers in this country and have received nothing but praise for being a decent lawyer.

“You represent someone who has done nothing wrong and you are in receipt of the vilest abuse imaginable.”

Turning his attention to internet abuse McBride believes that the perpretators could find themselves jailed for upto five years.

He added: “I find it extremely depressing that there are people out there who would celebrate the idea of a mail bomb blowing up and going into someone’s face, and taking out their eyes, and blowing their hands off.

“It seems almost beyond comprehension that any rational individual could support that kind of activity.

“As I understand it, the Solicitor General for Scotland, Frank Mulholland, has made it clear recently that he intends – with the support of the Scottish Parliament – to make it an offence which is indictable, which means instead of a potential six months’ imprisonment, you can get up to five years in prison for that kind activity on the internet.”

VIDEO OF SUPPORTERS TRIBUTE TO NEIL LENNON

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